New year will usher in the 50-tap Green Man Taproom & Beer Garden

Side Dish

"We should be the leader of craft taps in town — that's the goal," says Scott Simmons, co-proprietor of the Green Man Taproom & Beer Garden (320 S. Weber St., greenmantaps.com). It's tentatively set to open in February in what's currently the Carter Payne Event Center, operated by Garden of the Gods Gourmet, from which he and his wife Petra will begin a five-year lease as of Jan. 1.

As envisioned, the high-ceilinged former AME Church worship hall will boast upward of 50 taps at a central, horseshoe-shaped bar, highlighting everything from C. Springs breweries to small Denver outfits and rare and hard-to-come-by craft beers.

"We don't get a lot of the good stuff Denver gets," says Simmons, adding that he aims to "build relationships with breweries who don't distribute" in order to fill his taps with unique-to-town brews.

An outdoor beer garden is also planned, pending city approval. For food, the idea is to partner with a couple of local food trucks that would keep consistent hours at the site, à la the arrangements we've seen with Bierwerks/Gypsy Pizzeria and Rocky Mountain Brewery/B'z BBQ.

Petra will handle day-to-day management of Green Man while Scott nurtures his American Distance Project nonprofit, which currently works with around 30 U.S. athletes competing nationally and internationally. He spent more than 20 years as a college track-and-field coach, moving most recently from Charlotte, N.C., to here specifically because "it's the best place in the U.S. to train distance runners."

Pace yourself at a special $35 preview (limited to 150) from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9. It will feature half-pint samples of quality craft beer and food from Za Pizza, and serve as a fundraiser for his nonprofit.

À la carte

• Adam's Mountain Café (934 Manitou Ave., Manitou Springs, adamsmountain.com) confirmed rumors over the weekend that it is "pursuing" the Manitou Steak and Pancake House, 26 Manitou Ave., as its next location. "We are under contract, but it's not a done deal," says owner Farley McDonough, who urges loyal patrons of both entities to support them in their current locations for months to come. Adam's lease in the flood-battered Spa Building isn't up until April 2014.

• salt + butter Co. (saltbutterco.com) will enjoy a launch party from 6 to 9 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 26, to celebrate its move into Stir (2330 N. Wahsatch Ave.) as its new commissary. Mundi Ross says she'll bake a variety of her popular flavors, such as whiskey cherry chocolate, for the affair.